Ten Seconds to Hell

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Ten Seconds to Hell

1959

1h 33m

Mystery & Thriller

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3 Reviews

33%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

After the end of World War II, six German soldiers return to Berlin and form a bomb disposal unit. Defusing bombs is extremely risky business, so every week the group contributes to a fund that will go to the last man standing. Only Karl Wirtz (Jeff Chandler) and Eric Koertner (Jack Palance) are left, and their once solid friendship is starting to crack. Adding to the tension is their rivalry over a local woman (Martine Carol) and one last job that could change everything.

Clyde Gilmour

Maclean's Magazine

...the film, however, evidently strives for profundities which never quite come through...

Oct 30, 2019

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

A downbeat so-so off-beat message suspense WWII drama that never explodes and remains mostly tedious.

Rated: C+

Nov 8, 2012

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: B

Nov 7, 2012

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Audience Member

One of the best Jack Palance role!!! High-quality psychological war drama...

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

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Audience Member

Incredibly tense bomb diffusing scenes, and all- around well acted by Palance.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/23/18

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Audience Member

The original Hurt Locker.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

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Audience Member

The best thing about this film is the title. Palance and Chandler play a couple of rival former Wehrmacht soldiers after the end of World War II who find along with four others they can make a decent living disarming unexploded ordinance (bombs) around Berlin, which is what they had been doing for Germany before the war ended. The ever wooden Chandler plays a real d*ck throughout the film, in a constant rivalry with Palance. Nobody in the film tries to put on even the slightest of German accents, and that may be for the best. Some good bomb defusing scenes, some bad narration, a LOT of post war rubble and a cute fox terrier pretty much sums up this picture written and directed by Robert Aldrich.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

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Audience Member

Robert Aldrich's story of desperate men deactivating bombs in post-World War II Berlin is surprisingly devoid of tension. Aldrich's visual style creates an atmospheric setting of war-ravaged Europe, but the film is slow-paced and talky. Solid performances from Jack Palance and Jeff Chandler fail to generate any suspense from a less then compelling story.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

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Audience Member

Jack Pallance and Jeff Chandler butt heads and diffuse bombs in post-war Berlin. Much manly gritting of teeth and suspense. Economically directed by Robert Aldrich eight years before The Dirty Dozen.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

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Robert Aldrich

Director

Jeff Chandler

Karl Wirtz

Jack Palance

Eric Koertner

Martine Carol

Margot Hofer

Robert Cornthwaite

Franz Loeffler

Dave Willock

Peter Tillig

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Synopsis

After the end of World War II, six German soldiers return to Berlin and form a bomb disposal unit. Defusing bombs is extremely risky business, so every week the group contributes to a fund that will go to the last man standing. Only Karl Wirtz (Jeff Chandler) and Eric Koertner (Jack Palance) are left, and their once solid friendship is starting to crack. Adding to the tension is their rivalry over a local woman (Martine Carol) and one last job that could change everything.

Director: Robert Aldrich
Producer: Michael Carreras
Production Co: Hammer Films
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 17, 2021
Runtime: 1h 33m